Hourglass
by RulerOfCats
Summary: Kiyomi has one year. She never thought her life could be cut so short when she spent so long wasting time. Still, a lot can happen in one year, especially for a girl who wants to try everything before the end. Travel with Kiyomi through first loves, first heartbreak, and first everything else as she tries to live 14600 days in one year.
1. Hour of Knowing

ONE

**Hour of Knowing**

_"The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But, before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die."_  
\- Maleficent

****KIYOMI KNEW THE DECISION WOULD BE MADE WHEN ****she first shattered the hourglass. As she watched the sands slide over the hard wood floor, she felt absolutely numb. People were talking to her, but then again, people were always talking to her. She had many friends when she joined the academy at five years old. She was six when people first started calling her a genius.

_This isn't real_, Kiyomi had thought to herself when she was first told she wouldn't make it past eighteen.

After that, her family got second opinions. They got third opinions. Fourth opinions. They got so many opinions, that eventually they had to accept these were facts.

Kiyomi was going to die.

It wasn't something she ever thought about before. Thinking of death, she means. It was a passing whimsy that she didn't really have time to dwell on in the past. She always thought she'd die heroically, in protection of someone else. She thought she'd die in the sands, next to fallen comrades. She even thought she'd make to when she was old, her fingers clasped tight around a loved one as she made some speech about a life well lived.

She never pictured her actual death. She never thought she'd lose access to her limbs. She'd lose the ability to walk. She'd lose the ability to speak. She'd lose to ability to see. Eventually, she'd lose the ability to breathe. No, that was not a fate even she could not picture.

Still, as she stared up into the the sky, to those passing by, it was almost as if she already lost all of that. Still, she didn't move as she watched the hot sun begin to lower into the sands. She didn't cry. She didn't pout. She just sat there, on the bench, as if she were already waiting to die.

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

"Kiyo-chan," whispered the soft voice from across the park. Kiyomi was dazed, but eventually she looked over to spot her little brother padding across the sand. She let out a small smile, holding out her hand as the little boy grinned and gripped onto his sister's waist.

"Done playing then?" Kiyomi asked, her eyes leering down at her brother as she squeezed him tightly into her chest.

"I wanted to play with you," Kota reminded her with a frown. She chuckled, glancing over to his friends that had settled over in the distance. Her brother was only a year younger than her, but her parents always told her that she had the mind of an elderly woman since she never liked playing. Even after turning six years old, she still chose the act of reading a good book over playing in the sand.

It wasn't even children's books or actual novels, but instead books on Chakra development and the inner workings of the human coils. Even at a young age, Kiyomi always knew her dreams. Instead of drawing with her brother, her pass time consisted of creating charts and ideas of new training regimens. It was amusing to her parents, who insisted they throw her a birthday party only to be bombarded with a seven page essay on why parties were a waste of her time and she should instead be allowed to train.

Her parents, being scholars in their respective fields, had been impressed by her thesis, but not enough to allow her the chance of skipping out on socializing. That was how Kiyomi was wrapped into inviting her classmates to a party she did not want.

"Sorry your essay didn't work," Kota said, holding onto his sister's hand as she walked him out of the park. Kiyomi didn't get a chance to answer as the loud screaming broke her off from answering.

"Quick, run away, it's Gaara!"

"Get away!"

"MONSTER!"

Kiyomi froze, careful to force Kota behind her as she turned around to see the red haired boy walk towards the group of children that had been playing in the sand of the park. In his hands was a ball, likely the same ball the kids were playing with before. Her heart was beating rapidly, her fear palpable as she watched the red haired boy offer up the ball to the children.

"Kiyomi, we have to go," Kota whispered, tugging on his sister's overall dress. Still the girl didn't move. "Kiyomi."

"Kota," she whispered, watching as the boy, Gaara's, eyes flickered to her and her brother. "No sudden movements."

"I brought your ball," Gaara whispered, holding out the ball to the other children.

They screamed, all shoving one another to run away. Kiyomi watched as Gaara held out the ball before slowly lowering it back to the ground. She took a deep breath, taking slow steps back as she dragged Kota away from the scene. After all, she had to protect her little brother, and Gaara was a monster. Still, the curiosity had frozen her. She knew what she should do, but this was _Gaara_ and she had so many questions.

She took a step forward, her eyes scanning over the red hair, the trembling fingers, the soft pout. He looked so small. Still, looks must have been deceiving because inside him was a great demon. Her parents said to never stay around him for long. The other kids swore they saw him drinking blood. Some adults say he ceased to be human long ago and never even slept.

Kiyomi was curious by nature and took another step. _How must it be,_ she thought, _to_ _never sleep. To drink blood. To be a demon._

The boys eyes drifted to her, but her brother's whimper broke her from her daze and she took a step back. She grabbed him quickly, horrified that she could put him in such danger for mere curiosity.

Kota was silent the entire way back home, his fingers clutched onto the back of Kiyomi's robes as they made it back to the complex. By the time they were just outside, Kota had began crying. Kiyomi quickly shushed him, kneeling down next to him. "You can't cry. If you cry, mom will ask why!"

Kota was still scrunching his fists to his eyes as he tried to control his hiccuping. Still, he gazed up at his older sister's face. "Why can't we tell mommy?"

Kiyomi winced. "If she knows, you won't be able to play there anymore. You might not even be able to go with me anywhere."

Kota sniffed, trying to control his crying. "I can't...go there?"

"You know how mom is. So let's keep this between us, kay?" Kiyomi, in hindsight, probably should have told her mother since perhaps taking her little brother to a park that now the demon of Suna liked to roam was not a great idea. Still, if it made her brother happy, she would do whatever he wanted.

"What did you do to Kota?" Midori asked upon seeing her children walk into the house, Kiyomi looking sheepish and Kota having obviously just stopped crying.

"How was I supposed to know that sand in the face could hurt so much," Kiyomi said with a shrug. "I apologized. I realize I am grounded. I will be in my room to study."

Midori lowered her glasses as she worked on her own reports at the table. Slowly she sighed, standing up and leaving her pen on top of the documents before kneeling over to Kota. "Is that true? Did your sister bully you?"

Kota glanced towards his sister with a tilt of his head, as if looking for approval. Kiyomi, standing behind her mother, nodded her head. Slowly, he looked to his mother. "She hit me in the face mom!" Kiyomi shugged, thinking it was a bit much but it was only a slight punishment. It was better than telling her mother that she nearly got them both killed by Gaara of the sand.

"Is that right?" Midori asked with a sigh.

Kota nodded his head, wiping his eyes one more time. "And then she held me down and made me eat sand!"

Kiyomi's eyes widened, shaking her head to her little brother who began to cry again. The act was very convincing, and when her mother turned her face to Kiyomi, the anger drifting in the woman's eyes, Kiyomi visibly paled. It was a feat, considering she was naturally very tan.

"She did, did she?" Midori stood, and Kiyomi glanced towards her smiling little brother with murder in her eyes. Kota's smile turned devious, as if he was unable to resist the effort of the act.

"Mom, he's lying. I didn't do the second part!" Kiyomi was gonna get her ass whooped and it was not gonna be pretty. As if on cue, reminding the little girl why she so often teased her brother, Kota began crying again.

"Mommy, it was horrible! Kiyo-chan is mean!" Kota said, his smile nowhere to be seen when Midori looked at her son.

"Kiyomi, up stairs. No studying. I want you to read all of Kota's books, front to back. Every one of them." Midori's voice was firm, causing Kiyomi's lips to drop.

"Mom, that's not fair. His books are stupid!" Kiyomi glanced to between her brother and mother, the former of which was smiling. She stomped to Kota's room, took out one of his books where a talking scorpion sang the alphabet, and wondered what she did to deserve this.

Still, the days leading up to her party was filled with reading all Kota's _dumb _books. She also filled the time with little petty acts of vengeance such as folding the pages in Kota's books and shoving globs of sand in his sheets.

When she spotted Kota walk into their shared room, Kiyomi stood up, vengeance in her eyes. Kota opened his lips to scream, but she had silenced his voice with her palm and slammed her elbow lightly into his stomach.

"That's fair," Kota said with a grunt as he collapsed on the ground.

"Apologize," Kiyomi ordered, and he glanced up, his small eyes gazing into hers.

"No. Get off me you crazy _zihyt_," Kota shouted out, and Kiyomi's eyes widened at his curse.

She instantly regretted teaching him Sunanojo. She just hadn't expected him to use their language against her in a fight. "Boy, you better take that back!" _Nobody can call me a zihyt in my own house!_

"You are one!" He shouted at her. _"neh quch wuaph chea'ko u zihyt!"_

"How dare you!" Kiyomi raised her fist and pounded her fist into his skull. "The disrespect! The dishonor! _Eak tenekuzpo unyojhekj_!"

"Fuck our ancestors! Stop hitting me!" Kota whined, opening his mouth to scream for their mother. He didn't get the chance as she slammed her palm against his mouth. His scream of 'mom' turned muffled and ultimately disappeared.

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

Tan fingertips pressed up against the stone, trailing over the carved words as if they meant something. The clouds hung in the sky, far above her head, reminding her of the impending rain. The air was frigid and moist, and hung over her in its wake of a hot desert sky. The usual dusty wind didn't have the same effect as it used to and she rather missed being able to feel it. No, lately, she hasn't been able to feel much of anything.

"I thought of you often today," Kiyomi told him, her eyes stinging, but she had long since lost the ability to cry as she used to. Instead, she was reminded of his smile. It wasn't present anymore. "I dreamed of the past. I suppose people do that when they are close to death." Her eyes stung again. She tried to remember what he would have said to her before. He used to be able to cheer her up over anything. Now, she'd give anything for him to say anything.

Kiyomi felt her ribs ache. They had been doing that more often as of late. Lately it had felt as if she was always in pain. Her muscles always felt as if she had just suffered a long battle. Her bones always rattled. Her heart always beat just a bit too quick, making her lose her breath a bit faster than usual.

"Do you remember?" Kiyomi paused as she spoke to him, and like always, he was silent. "I became a ninja when I was young, and you hung off my leg before my first mission. You begged me to take you. You promised you'd be silent. You promised you'd stow away in my bag. You'd curl up and I wouldn't even know you were there."

Kiyomi let out a strangled cry. Her shoulders were shaking, as she tried to hold in those tears. She missed his smile. She missed beating him up for disrespecting her. She missed his _smile_.

"I should have taken you," Kiyomi dropped to her knees as the stone became taller than her body when she fell. Her hands clutched the grass, digging into the dirt where her brother rested. "I should have taken you with me. I should have taken you far."

Kiyomi was trembling, as if the motion could make her warm when she always felt too cold. The rain had yet to start. Her parents were probably worried about her. She should probably leave. Still, she couldn't move. Her cheeks were damp, her heart was clenched, and she wanted to die.

She couldn't look at the gravestone anymore. It was too cold. It was too bitter. It didn't have enough writing on it. 'Shirogane Kota' wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to describe him. He deserved sonnets. He deserved paragraphs to describe how he made people feel like they were the center of his world. He deserved to be alive for how he made her feel special. He made her feel strong.

She missed his smile.

"I will join you here," she whispered, her fingers digging harder in the dirt. "I will join you."

She buried her head into the grass, as if she could sink into her little brother's coffin and lay there amongst his skeleton.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

I am so excited for this story. It's a different one for me since I never imagined that I would ever make a Gaara based love interest. I'm actually very nervous since I have no idea if I will be any good at depicting him. He's definitely not the type of guy I would usually go for, but when I thought up Kiyomi's storyline and was brainstorming what village she would be best suited for, I couldn't help myself.

Gaara is going to be the most challenging character I've ever tried to get in character (surprisingly Naruto is a very close second!) so please tell me if and where I messed up!

Thank you so much for reading!

\- Ul'Yana


	2. Hour of Tests

Two

**Hour of Tests**

****KIYOMI LIFTED HER HAND, HER LIPS PULLED INTO A FACADE THAT WAS UNBREAKABLE****, and perhaps others would call it her 'bitch face'. Still, Kiyomi didn't allow others whispers to ever bother her. People would say whatever they wanted, and she never cared. That was her method of control when people would talk as the liked.

"Shiragane? _The _Shiragane clan?"

"Shitty Shinobi."

"Weakling clan."

"Despicable, inhuman, puppeteers."

"I thought they were all dead."

"Obviously not."

"_Shame_."

Kiyomi had heard all of this before. It was what her mother and father told her when she first said she would be the greatest Shinobi in all the sand. It was what they told her when she said she'd become the _Kazekage_. She was told there was no way. She was told that she might be the strongest, she might be the smartest, but Suna had a way of covering dreams in the sand.

Her hand raised, tauntingly as she beckoned the ninja forward. The man was nearly double her eight and definitely triple her weight in mere muscle. Still, her lips curled into an arrogant smirk. She became a Genin at 7, a Chuunin at 8, and a Jounin at 10. She was not afraid of any brute, no matter how many six packs he might have.

He rushed at her, his steps too heavy for the sand. She watched them as she side stepped. Her ballet flats made little imprints as she applied her Chakra into the brown specs. It kept her upright and kept her from sinking. Her parents had taught her to walk on sand before ever learning to walk on water. What water was really in the land of wind anyway?

The brute charged at her again, his eyes narrowed as she side stepped him with a very arrogant yawn. Her mother was likely shaking her head in the stands, wishing her daughter was more humble. Still, Kiyomi found modesty was of no use in the ring. People hated arrogance, and she loved exploiting the hot headed nature of her opponent.

He raised his hands, and she watched them move in a swift Jutsu. Her narrow eyes were already scanning the imperfections in his movements. The heat was blistering on their backs, but the heat never bothered her. The Chakra manifested around his hands, but Kiyomi's Chakra sensing had always been too shit to properly feel others. Slowly, lightning began to crackle in his hands, covering his fists as his steps quickened. Where he stepped was nearly hot enough to create glass in the sand.

Her smile disappeared as she avoided his punch. The heat of the lightning nearly seared her skin as a trickle of excitement flooded into the weakening husk of her heart. _There it is, _she thought,_ adrenaline sweet and delectable._

The light went back into her eyes as her hands gripped the sand below her into a ball. She closed her fist around it, lips finally curling back into a smirk. She jumped back, but her opponent was fast. The lightning crackled around his steps, reminding her that he was known as the fastest man in Suna. Still, she kept up with him, her excited grin flickering back on as she watched his frustrated expression quicken. He was obviously unused to long exposure to his own Jutsu. She thought up a training regimen that he could use to his benefit. However, now was _obviously_ not the time to go over the flow charts in her head.

"Your lightning is stunning," she whispered, and he grimaced as her breathing remained steady. "Still, you know who I am?"

"Use it you bitch!" Hanashi Yao cursed at her, and she raised her brows.

"I wanted to see your fighting style beforehand. It was a mere tactical strategy," she explained, and pressed her hands together and tossed the sand towards him. The ball of clumped sand in her hand hardened and crystallized into glass. Those pieces were sharp as steel as they spread throughout the ground. He stopped abruptly, his eyes widened as the glass shard speared into his ninja sandal. Still, with the slowly lowering sun, the glass shards that scattered over the ground were impossible to see.

The lightening release that once surrounded his body had disappeared, now that the new field was covered in glass shards that he couldn't see. His foot was already bleeding as he met her cold gaze. "You fight dirty."

When she saw his move focused around speed, speed that would eventually outclass her own, she knew the only way to win was to slow him down. She knew that he couldn't go fast in a field of glass, she knew that the sun made the glass reflect, so she had to goad him. She had to wait for the sun to lower.

"Please, don't release your Jutsu on my account," Kiyomi said, digging her feet into the ground and allowing the sand to harden into glass around her feet. The protective barrier of glass surrounded her feet and allowed her to step over the arena without fear. He stepped carefully over the field now that he was forced to take his time.

She didn't waste any time, having learned long ago how to work around her own glass. She jumped forward, grabbing another handful of sand and swung it at him. It turned once again in dozens of little needle like spears, impossible to dodge with his current speed. They pierced his arms, and the sting made it impossible to dodge her glass covered fist. She knew his muscles were too tough to hurt him with her current strength, but her smooth glass gauntlet made them even. The punch threw him back, and she slammed her hands into the sand. The moment he hit the ground, the sand around him surrounded his body in jagged glass as her Chakra flowed through the ground and entrapped him.

He was bleeding and trapped when she walked towards him. She knelt over his prison with a soft smile. "You fought well. Do you yield?"

He glanced at her, his eyes hard. Slowly he snorted as her prison turned back into soft sand over his wounds. He grimaced. "Shit...that was rough. Yes I fucking yield." She laughed, offering her hand. He winced as she helped him up to his feet.

"And the winner is Shiragane Kiyomi!" The announcer shouted over the cheers to the battle no one thought they'd enjoy. Her mother was probably fuming.

"That is one strong Kekkei Tōta," Yao told her with another wince as she helped him stand. She smiled again.

"Imagine raising me," Kiyomi said over the cheers. "In a desert!"

Yao let out a booming laugh. "I always wondered what it'd be like to fight you."

Kiyomi felt her lips curl into another proud smile. "Was it what you dreamed of?"

"More like a nightmare than a dream," Yao said, wiping the blood off his face with yet another grimace.

After Yao sought _much needed_ medical attention, Kiyomi practically had her arm ripped out of her socket by her mother. Kiyomi loved Shiragane Midori, but lately all she wanted was the woman to _back_ _the fuck off my shit._ Not that Kiyomi could ever tell her mother that, at least not unless she wanted to get her ass whooped with a paddle. She would rather face an entire team of enemy ninja than deal with her mother's surprisingly impressive paddling skills.

"You were reckless!" Midori said, her hands running over her daughter's cheeks as she inspected her skin for so much as a scratch. Kiyomi held in the desire to roll her eyes as Midori gripped her arms and pulled up her sleeves, searching for any wounds or signs of a cut. Besides the old scars that littered Kiyomi's skin, there was just the dirt from the sand that made Kiyomi's skin dry and itchy.

"I was careful," Kiyomi reminded her, since it had been a long time since anyone had been able to get so much as a single cut on her body. In fact, thanks to the nature of her own abilities, most of her wounds were self inflected.

"You can't be using that ability as you would any other!" Midori's stern voice cut through Kiyomi's ears as she had the strongest urge to snap at her defense.

"If you don't want to see it, you shouldn't have come," Kiyomi said, immediately regretting her words at the hurt expression that ran through her mother's face.

"Shouldn't have come?" Midori shook her head. "I had to come you brat!"

"I know you're worried, but I'm _fine_," Kiyomi said, holding in the fact that she had the strangest urge to throw the _fuck _up.

Midori didn't look convinced as she stared at her daughter from under the thick lenses that made it even more impressive that her stare could still be so penetrating. Kiyomi was reminded of how little she ever managed to get past her mother. Still, Kiyomi's voice lowered into a whisper. "You can be worried all you like, but I'm fine," Kiyomi repeated, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

"Are you certain this is what you want?" Midori asked, the worry now so visible that it was a wonder it didn't take its own separate and distinct shape.

"You know it is," Kiyomi whispered, glancing over to the door of the waiting room as if any moment, someone would walk through and confirm what she knew was to happen.

"We could go somewhere," Midori said, her eyes watering and it hurt Kiyomi to know that she was hurting her like this. "We could go somewhere nicer. I could show you the oasis that I met your father. We could travel there. You can see the spring said to have been formed by the gods. We could go."

"Mom," Kiyomi whispered, cutting her mother off. Still, Kiyomi's eyes were gentle. "I was born _here_. I want to die _here_. Not at some distant part of the desert where I don't recognize."

Midori covered her face, her lips trembling as she tried to keep her tears in her body. She had cried too much this last year. She had preyed, she had pleaded, and she had nearly broke. Still, her strong daughter always managed to hold it all in and kept _her _together. That wasn't fair to Kiyomi. It should be a mother's job to make her daughter feel protected, and yet she couldn't even do that right.

"I just want you to be safe," Midori whispered, and Kiyomi's smile grew gentle as she shook her head. That was when the door opened and caused Midori's heart to drop.

"Mom, I can either be safe or I can be happy," she said, pressing her fingers gingerly through her mother's dark brown hair. "I won't be long after you."

Midori slowly nodded, feeling her shoulders drop in exhaustion as her daughter walked past her. "Dinner will be ready when you get home."

Kiyomi grinned, shaking her head as her eyes caught on the man with the black hoodie and purple markings. Kankuro was a legend to all puppeteers in the sand, and would have been a legend to her had Kiyomi and love for puppets. It was ironic that she hated them, but not surprising once one learned about the backstory of her clan.

"Best fight of the year," Kankuro said with a smirk as she followed him out of the room.

"You thought so?" Kiyomi felt herself smile, her lips chapped and her body feeling weak. Still, she worked too hard to get to this point. She wouldn't get anywhere by backing out now. "I thought it had a slow start."

Kankuro snorted. "You waited for the sun to go down. That was clever. Yao-san's Jutsu has never failed him before."

"It was interesting to see it in person," Kiyomi agreed, thinking back to her many flowchart ideas on how to help him overcome the weaknesses she saw in his abilities while fighting him.

"Either way, I thought you'd blanch when everyone started booing you," Kankuro said with a grin.

"Good thing I'm not ten years old," Kiyomi said with a burst of laughter. She followed him down the many halls of the building, towards the back where a dark room awaited her. The moment they stepped inside, the room lit with color as he stood in the middle of the circular room. "Another fight?"

Kankuro grinned, taking a step back as he righted his stance. "And with no sand. You up for it, Shiragane Kiyomi?"

At the clear challenge in his tone, Kiyomi grinned. She took a step in the room, noticing the small light bulbs surrounding the room in a circular motion. She spotted the clear stonework of the ground and she got into a nonchalant stance. Her hair was in a tight ponytail, hanging over her shoulder as her back was still slightly damp with sweat.

She didn't have much Chakra after the battle with Yao, but her Kankuro of the Sand three stood, completely prepared with full energy. She took in the very obvious reasons she was unlikely to win with calm indifference. She knew little about his fighting style, and she didn't have the stamina to figure it out.

"Are you ready, Shiragane-san?" Kankuro asked. It sounded rather condescending to Kiyomi, but she had grown up around battle, so she learned long ago that it doesn't matter if she was ready. The world didn't wait for anyone to be ready.

That was what she was trying to learn currently. She took a step forward, that previous arrogant facade nowhere to be seen. She had to make an impression and she didn't want to seem like an arrogant little shit in front of the Kazekage's brother.

The puppet on his back rushed forward, and she rushed to dodge it. Still, it was fast, swiping her with what she knew to be poisoned claws. She ducked again, the tips of her ponytail was caught by the swipe of his claws, causing her to wince as those shredded bits could have easily been her neck. She watched Kankuro's smug expression as he worked with the puppeteer strings. They spiraled towards her, and she side stepped once, twice, three times as she moved along the small arena.

She was underprepared for this battle, but as a Ninja, one had to be prepared for anything. Gaara fights with sand as well, and to make up for an environment that goes against his style, what does he do? He carries around a fucking sand that likely weighed three times his weight. In that respect, what is she doing?

The claws hit her stomach, tearing through her clothes and towards her skin. She felt Kankuro hesitate, having expected her to dodge. She didn't and her shirt didn't soak with blood. Instead, the claws chipped off as it hit the glass that had been hardened with Chakra as the last debris of sand that covered her body had crystalized with the heat. She took the chance for Kankuro's hesitation as the bits of sand around her hand, dirt from her last battle, hardened into sharp barbs and pierced through the puppet's neck. She attacked the joints, already knowing that those were the weakest and most fragile parts of any puppet. Then, she gathered Chakra into her fists as a condensed scalpel.

She severed the Chakra strings and the puppet collapsed into a heap on the floor when she slammed her leg into the wrists of the puppet, snapping off both pieces as she glanced toward Kankuro. His expression was one she could only describe as _horrified_ as he couldn't believe that she could _dare_ treat his puppet so, but Kiyomi never had any respect for one. She could go as far as to say that she hated them for the stigma they left on her family.

"Bitch," he whispered, and she tried to control the smile that wanted to pierce her blank facade, but she couldn't. Instead, vague smile and all, she rushed forward. He dodged her string of Taijutsu, but her hits were strong. Everywhere he hit, his fists would hit against hardened glass that, if he hit too hard, would shatter into his knuckles.

Kankuro had thought, away from a field of sand, Kiyomi would be an easy opponent, but she was obvious not. Instead, her punches stung, her form was perfect, and he was reminded that she became a Jounin much younger than him. He was impressed, not that he'd tell _her _that. He began to wonder how much more difficult she'd be in her own element, but he didn't get much further with that thought after her knee collided with his gut. Then, she slammed a Chakra and glass infused fist straight, and he was wrong to think she might hold back, into his balls.

He collapsed, practically seeing the kids he could have had disappear before his very eyes as his groan of pain filtered in the room. Kiyomi took a step back, let out a small breath as she watched Kankuro go into fetal position. He whined, wreathed, and she let out a slow chuckle. "Y-You actually kicked me in the dick. Why? Who-Who does that?"

"Technically," Kiyomi said, already realizing that perhaps it was a dirty and underhanded way to win. "I punched you in the balls."

Kankuro groaned, and Kiyomi watched him wither in pain for a couple more minutes. That was when the awkwardness of the situation began to settle in and perhaps she did feel a bit guilty. She took a step forward, as he continued to attempt to gather his strength to get up and perhaps punch her in the face.

"Do you need some ice?" Kiyomi asked awkwardly, a small grin bustling on her lips. It _was _an underhanded win, but she knew that letting him gather his Chakra back to controlling his puppet would be bad for her. Kankuro had more chakra, was well rested, and he obviously knew the environment that he fought in, so she worked with what she could do. Yes, she probably could have won fairly, but where was the fun in that?

"Fu-Fuck off," Kankuro said, and she bit her bottom lip and laughed before she could help it. He glanced up, his scowl set into his face. "You're actually laughing right now?" That made her laugh harder, and she fell back onto her ass. "You could have neutered me!" Her sides were splitting, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

"D-Don't! I'm pissing," she said, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

Kankuro grimaced as he sat up with much difficulty. "Well, you did it. You may be a horrid bitch, but you can fight."

She continued chuckling as she stood up and held out her hand to him. He looked at the fist that had slammed into him and nearly took away his chances at having children. His expression was filled distrust, and that only caused her amusement to grow when he finally gripped her palm and allowed her to drag him to his feet. "So I passed?"

Kankuro looked upon the woman who fought so hard for the opportunity. Still, he had a hard time picturing her around his brother. Regardless, her test scores alone were excellent, her Taijutsu was flawless, the psychological test had come back without concerns, and she had thoroughly kicked his ass _and_ embarrassed him. All he had to do was give his okay, and she had the position. Something stopped him, a question he had to ask since no one else would know how to spot a liar. He would know the revulsion and spot what it looked like.

"Would you protect him well?"

Kankuro watched her smile disappear, watched that playful expression morph into something serious, and was once again reminded that _this_ was the girl responsible for fending off and capturing many of the missing Ninja now rotting in the cells of Suna. She had proven her strength time and time again, but that wasn't the only thing that mattered to Kankuro. He had to know that those he gave this job to actually wanted to do it for the right reasons. He had to know that he brother would be safe, and that wasn't surprising after nearly losing him not long ago at the hands of the Akatsuki.

"With my life," Kiyomi said, her conviction strong in her eyes. He believed her, but he noticed there was something in her eyes that made him weary. The only reason he said what he did next was because whatever that emotion was, it was not enough to cancel out the pure truth that had settled over her.

"Then yes, you pass."

****AUTHOR'S NOTE****

Little facts about Kiyomi! She's a Capricorn, loves spicy food, and trying new things. Also, if anyone is wondering, a Kekkei Tōta is _not_ the same thing as a Kekkei Genkai. It is a more advanced and far more rare. I've never depicted a character before who could use one. Kiyomi's Kekkei Tōta is that of Glass Release, and the way this is performed, as all these rare techniques are used, is by combining different elements. In Kiyomi's case, these elements are earth, Lightning, and Fire, that, when combined, create glass. This is something that isn't done in the anime as the only one we've seen (that I know of) is the Dust Release.

I like exploring, in every one of my Naruto fanfics, a different style of fighting. This keep shit interesting to me as each character is a master of their own respective fighting style (Anomie is a master of Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu, Tsukasa is a master of Taijutsu and technically Iryoninjutsu, Shion is Genjutsu, Azura is Kenjutsu). Now we have Kiyomi who releases on her Kekkei Tōta to do her fighting.

This is my first time doing a story with an Earth sign zodiac. This could be due to the fact I am an Air sign so earth signs are at the other end of the spectrum of what I'm used to! I hope you all are enjoying her! I really like her and I'm looking forward to seeing how this story will grow! It does take place in the 'Fates' universe that all my other stories take place in, but the events happen after the end of Naruto and honestly, there are no spoilers. Suna's too far from all that Konoha drama, so it doesn't actually effect anything in this story.

Ya really don't gotta read them.

This story will be rather sad, dealing with loss, depression, lasts and firsts, and all of that. Still, I hope you will all stick through it because the ending, at least what I've planned for it, will be worth it! Thank you for reading.

-Ul'Yana


	3. Hour of Kazekages

Three

**Hour of Kazekage**

****BEFORE KIYOMI HAD TURNED TWELVE, SHE HAD LEARNED WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO ****take a life. It had been a life changing even that brought her home in numb silence. She thought she'd never remember how to talk without remembering the way her hands had felt like covered in blood. _It was an accident_. She only meant to get him to stop, but Kiyomi had fucked up. She hadn't meant to kill him.

It had been an Akatsuki member. He had been a criminal and he shouldn't have the right to anything else after the Akatsuki had attempted to destroy Suna to get to their Kazekage. Thus, she had killed the man known as Hidan. At the very least, she had aided Konoha in his removal. In doing so, she shared the burden of murder with a man known as Nara Shikamaru who had his own vendetta against that man. Kiyomi's team had been tracking Hidan for months after he was spotted in the Wind country, and he pushed her hand when he murdered her friends.

She supposed that was just how the world worked these days.

Still, Kiyomi would never forget the look in Shikamaru's eyes when he fought at her side. The boy had wanted more than just Hidan's death. He wanted to destroy him. Kiyomi, having been trained from birth to fight, had followed his strategy, his lead, and had walked away with blood upon her hands.

That battle made Kiyomi _know_ that she would much rather protect a life than take one. Thus, she joined exited her time with the persuit brigade and joined special forces with the intention of being a teacher. Of course, that was before she found out about her illness. How could she ever dedicate her life to students if she only had a year left. No, she instead was forced away from the dream that had once been so attainable. She was left wandering the village without anything in her life. She began living through the mere memories of her brother who she would never see again.

_"Have you thought about a position under protection of the Kazekage?" _Sobune Hibito had asked her as she put in her letter of resignation. She had planned to live out her last days getting fat and masturbating. Maybe she'd get a house mouse or a chameleon. At least that way they'd both live the same amount of time.

She was livid and shaken at the thought of where she was and she wanted to pass out as she walked up the steps towards the hallway that would lead past nearly twenty rooms, most of which she had never stepped foot inside. After Kota, she had taken every mission she could _out_ of Suna. She had been desperate for distraction, she had been the first to request every mission that took her away from the home she had once felt safe to be inside. That innocence had died the day Kota departed.

She took another step, wishing that she could stop the rise of fear and the emotion she would not name and give power over her. She had to be stronger than she had been the first month she wasted of her year. She hurt her parents and she was hurting them now. Kiyomi's steps faltered as that second emotion swallowed her lungs when she approached the door at the end of the hall. She stared at it, and it was taller than her. It was menacing, but she had gotten so much stronger than she had ever been as a kid.

_"What do you want to be when you grow up?" _Kiyomi had asked her brother, watching him stare up at her with that innocent twinkle in his eyes. She could still see it when she closed her eyes.

_"I want to be your brother!" _Only Kota could say something so embarrasing and still mean it. Kiyomi swallowed her feelings at the thought.

She had laughed at him back then. _"You will always be my brother, but if you don't study then I will tell everyone I don't know you!"_

Kiyomi smiled, allowing those happy thoughts of her brother fill her heart as she reached the end of the hallway. She raised her hand, willing it to move as thoughts of running away had filtered back into her mind. Still, she wasn't certain how long she stood in front of that door before it opened. No one greeted her, and instead all she saw was sand retreat from the door that had opened on its own. That sand trickled along the ground, retreating back to a red headed boy—her Kazekage—who had not looked away from his paperwork. She watched those beautiful pieces of sand run right back into the giant gourd next to his desk. She stopped herself from shivering as she gave a solid ninety degree bow.

Gaara glanced up from his paperwork, his dark shadowed eyes running over the girl that had spent a good five minutes standing in front of his office door. His Chakra sensing abilities, while not _as _good as it had been when he housed a demon, were still excellent. It had been a curiosity at first, when he tried to concentrate on the treaty in front of him, that someone outside his door remained. After the first minute, it had gotten annoying. _What is taking them so long?_

Another minute had passed and he was just staring at the door, able to feel the person's warm Chakra from behind the door. It felt like a crackling fire or like sand under the hot sun. It wasn't an unappealing texture, surely not spiked in threat. Still, they were distracting him from the treaty that he _already_ didn't want to be reading. What would it take, he thought to himself, to just have someone else do the work for him. Still, he was far to diligent to ever skimp on a single detail in the mix or slack on his work.

By the time three minutes had passed and the door still had not cracked open, Gaara had began stealing glances over to it. He began to wonder if perhaps the person did not know how to properly disturb the Kazekage or perhaps, Gaara grimaced at the thought, whoever it was was afraid of him. That thought was frustrating since Gaara worked immensely hard to rid himself the reputation of his past. He was ashamed of that reputation and that idea left him using his sand on the fifth minute and opening the door. He spotted a rather tall brunette girl.

She had piercing green eyes, Gaara noticed as he watched her eyes trail over his sand that he placed back into the gourd. He glanced back towards his paperwork, deciding to wait for her to speak considering he had already done the work of opening the door for her. She did not say anything, and instead bowed. That was not something he was used to yet, even though he had been Kazekage for two, nearly three, years by now. He had gotten used to the sight of people cowering to get away from him when he had still be Gaara, the monster of the Sand.

"Kazekage-sama."

She had a soft voice, Gaara noticed with a bemused glance over her _very tall_ figure. She was lanky, her fingertips easily reaching her knees. Her legs were very long and muscular, making it obvious that she probably never skipped a training session. Still, when she finally met his curious gaze, he noticed that here cheeks were sallow. She was tan, fitting the idea that spent much time training in the sun.

"I am Shiragane Kiyomi," she finally greeted, and Gaara finally placed the papers back down on the desk. She watched his actions, unable to help being cautious at every move of his hands. She _tried _to hide the fact that she was studying him, ready for any attack. She was confident in her ability to hide her emotions. Kota had always said she was cold to people and that was why people always thought she hated everybody.

It hurt to think of Kota when the Kazekage was so close. More than hurt, it felt like her blood was on fire. _Speak respectfully_, she reminded herself as she tried to remember that she was to work under the Kazekage. She had meant what she said to Kankuro. She _would _protect him with her life and Kiyomi was not liar. Her personal feelings meant nothing. Her history and background meant _nothing._

"Ah." Gaara said nothing more, and their silence was awkward, uncomfortable, and Kiyomi began to regret coming here. She regretted telling her mother this was what she had to do before the end. She regretted not bringing Kota with her in her suitcase when he had begged.

"I don't suppose..." Kiyomi paused, awkwardly raising her gaze over the plain room. Her eyes ran over to the window where the Suna's beautiful sun had begun to disappear from over the buildings. She wished she had her father's charisma at that moment. She wished she had his bravery and impossibly bright personality. No, she was cursed with her mother's awkward and long silences that she had no idea how to fill. "Kankuro told you about me."

Gaara blinked, very slowly and it was the first time Kiyomi had seen him blink the entire time they had been together in this room. She remembered that the closest she had ever been to him was that day so long ago on the playground of Suna. Many in her field of Shinobi arts never met their village leader, and for Kiyomi's case, this had been intentional.

"He did," Gaara said, and her gaze ran over the tanuki-like black rings around his eyes. Kiyomi was knowledgable enough to recognize that they had very similiar levels of social abilities. His lack of socializing was something she found rather bemusing in hindsight since _she _remembered his touching speech during the fourth Shinobi war. She watched him slowly lean back in his chair.

"I don't suppose you are already familiar with my resume," she said, forcing herself to take a step forward as she further investigated the contents of his office. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be anywhere else.

"I have read your file," Gaara said, and that much was true. His siblings had been begging him to pick more bodyguards since the night he was captured by the Akatsuki. It had only gotten worse in the passing months as more village tension swept Suna and many new villages in the land of Wind had arisen to challenge Sunagakure's rule as capital. Gaara, regardless of his siblings complaints, wasn't interested in more people watching his every move. Still, his love for his brother and sister had finally caused him to relent to their wishes.

Gaara had been forced by Kankuro and Temari to read nearly one hundred different files before he finally relented to five Shinobi, telling Kankuro to decide which two would be added to the Kazekage's personal shadow. When he had finally been told which two had gotten the position, he was impressed by the line up. Especially that of Shiragane Kiyomi who, Gaara thought to be _overqualified_ to be a personal and high status babysitter.

Her Kekkei Tōta had especially impressed him, as it was said to be something one didn't just inherit. It was studied to be a random mutation that left a person with the ability of three very destructive elemental controls. Little else was known because it was _rare_ to meet someone with the ability.

The other under the position was yet another impressive man, his abilities reminding Gaara of the Nara clan. This was due to his ability, as with the rest of the Kage clan, to hide in shadows. This, Gaara was certain, was likely something Kankuro found amusing since that meant that Gaara never had any inclination that the man would be in the room. Gaara, being a very private person, found this prospect very uncomfortable. Even the man's name, Hisashi, meant 'always with you' which Gaara also did not like. Still, even Gaara couldn't deny that the ability _was _useful. He didn't have to like it.

Kiyomi, however, had a far more impressive file. She had been, as Gaara had seen it, a workaholic who must not have taken any time off considering all her missions left little time for preparation to the next one. He understood that tenacity well, and he found it respectable. Hence why he agreed with Kankuro's choice.

_"She kicked me in the nutsack!" _Kankuro had screamed, and Temari had begun laughing, making it obvious to Gaara that this was not the first time Temari had heard their brother's complaints.

Still, thinking on the way the battle had been through the recordings he had seen of her fights, Gaara had been aware that by the time the last battle had come up, Kiyomi's Chakra must have been depleted. After all, the stamina one needed to go through back to back battles with Jounin who wanted a position just as much as the next was not an easy feat. Yao's battle had come up and still, Kiyomi had used her environment to take him down. She must have been exhausted, she must have been just wishing for it to end already, her Chakra must have been fleeting. Yao, in contrast, had only battled two opponents before Kiyomi, so he was well rested.

Still, Kiyomi had beaten him. Then, she proceeded to beat Kankuro. She was tencious, Gaara could see that much. He had been eager to meet her, and part of that was due to the fact that _Kankuro would not shut up about her_.

"I had thought," Gaara said, mulling over his next couple words as Kiyomi's gaze had drifted back towards him with a tilted head. Her expression was unreadable, but Gaara had never been to experienced in understanding emotions upon one's face. However, he was an expert at detecting fear. The moment he saw it, he felt immense disappointment that threatened to break his composure. "You were on the path to become a sensei."

That had confused him, as her file stated that she had taken internships and displayed direct enthusiasm for a different goal than the one she was currently standing. Gaara had always been curious about the goals of others, especially if he was to be employing one to watch him and be at his side during missions when his siblings could not.

Kiyomi's expression had not changed, and Gaara could still see the fear in her eyes regardless of her attempts to hide it. "I had wanted that," Kiyomi said, forcing her legs forward until she was in front of his desk. He was surprised by her action of closing the distance as this was definitely not something people readily did when they were afraid of him.

"And now?" Gaara didn't want to be with anyone who didn't want to be around him. He worked hard to leave his past behind him, but he understood that not everybody could leave such twisted and monstrous actions behind him. He could never make amends for his actions, but he _could_ at the very least show that he would give his life, and proven such, for his village.

"Now," Kiyomi said, still wishing she could be at home. "Now I'm here." Her eyes ran over the very neat desk of the Kazekage. Even the papers and files were in distinct and organized stacks. Kiyomi had always been very messy, so seeing such a well structured desk was a contrast to her hectic room that so very well resembled her hectic life.

She held her breath, wondering just how much he could know about her life. She hadn't been surprised that he knew about her career path since to become a teacher in the sand, one had to be very vocal about the intent. It required many tests, many recommendations, and even more permissions by high ranking officials. So many had been disappointed when she dropped out of the race after all the work she put in to get there.

"Ah," Gaara said, and glanced away from her gaze first. "If that is the case, I suppose I should introduce myself."

Kiyomi's brows raised, and she attempted to keep her comments to herself when he stood up and walked around his desk. He was taller than her, but only barely. She imagined he might have been taller, but theorized that the heaviness of his gourd had stumped much of his growth. She wondered why he would bother with introductions considering everybody in Suna knew who he was, unless they were dumb or babies.

"I am Gaara," he said, and she tried to control the emotion in her heart since it was _not_ at all helpful and definitely contradictory to her vow to protect him. "I am the son of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa. I am your Fourth Kazekage. I look forward to working with you." Slowly, and much to Kiyomi's surprise, he bowed to her.

The leader of Suna bowed to her. She felt, almost immediately, a burst of heat rush through her cheeks as shame flooded her gut. She covered that up with more work than she was proud to admit. Slowly, she nodded her head and examined his posture, his hair, his red clothes, and began to wonder what he was like when the demon still resided in his body. Obviously, even with its departure, it had not zapped much of his strength.

"I look forward to working with you as well, Lord Kazekage," Kiyomi said, and she hated herself for lying. She always hated lying.

_I will protect you. I don't have to like you._

****AUTHOR'S NOTE****

Does anybody got any theories as to why Kiyomi hates Gaara? I'd love to hear them! I am so excited for the next chapters and as of right now, I do have a lot of ideas for this story. It will definitely be much shorter than my others since the plot isn't as big as my other stories and I don't need to incorporate any huge events that happened in Naruto in this series.

I get to make this entirely my own thing, which is much easier than worrying about making an extremely AU Naruto fanfiction.

That's not to say this DOESN'T have a plot. It's just mostly focused on character growth and the stages of grief.

Regardless, again, thank you to everyone who has read! Have a wonderful day!

\- Ul'Yana


	4. Hour of Disrespect

Four

Hour of Disrespect

KIYOMI DIDN'T WANT TO GO HOME and face yet another awkward dinner where everyone avoided the topic on everyone's minds. That being said, when Gaara excused her, she had been in a moment of loss as she tried to remember what she normally did in this sort of situation. She came back without answer, leaving her to sink her feet into the warm sand as she wasted yet another moment of silence upon the swing. She watched the sun disappear past the buildings, underneath the Rocky mountains that separated the rock country in the east.

She closed her eyes, picturing with perfect clarity a small boy beside her. Kota had loved the playground. He would bury himself in the sand, covered until all that was visible was his brown head and say, _"I am the Sand Guardian! Guardian of the Sand!"_

Kiyomi felt her lips curl up. "You were an idiot," she said with that same grin that she used for when he made those dumb comments. He always managed to get bit by one bug or another, but would always say it was worth it to make her smile.

Kiyomi leaned her head back, running her feet further into the sand. She could picture the way the light had ran across the buildings, near where Kota had been caught fighting after school. It was lucky for him that it had been Kiyomi who saw the scene, and not her mother who had beat ass for a lot less than a thrown punch. _"Why were you fighting?" _Kiyomi had asked.

_"He called you a dirty puppeteer bitch!"_ Kota had screamed back, wiping the blood off his nose. It wasn't the first time he got in a fight over the Shiragane name, but it was the first time she saw him get a bloody nose from it.

She had been furious, not at the ridiculing, since that was ridiculous. She didn't even fight with puppets! No, she had been furious that he got hit. So, she dedicated her time to training him how to throw a proper punch, laughing because there was _no way_ Kota could ever become a great Shinobi at the rate he trained.

Kiyomi opened her eyes to the empty playground.

She wasn't certain how long she sat there, and she glanced down, wondering why she could no longer dangle upon the swing. She saw the sand had crystallized against her feet, trapping her in a casing of glass. Kiyomi let out a curse. Standing up and attempting to free herself. Still, she was trapped in the glass, and even worse was she hadn't realized she released the Jutsu. She leaned down, careful to turn the glass back into sand so she didn't cut herself trying to get her dumbass out from her own trap.

She sighed, stepping back into her sandals and glanced back towards the setting sun. She wasn't certain how many more she would be able to see, so she placed that sun into her memory, embracing it closely to her heart. It was only until she could see the first star clearly in the sky that she began to consider heading back. Her eyes closed shut, basking in the beautiful night air that felt so right on her skin.

The turmoil of the next day, of the next week, of the so few months to follow, those were all silent when she closed her eyes. They didn't bother her when her feet were dipped in the sand. They didn't crush her when she remembered her beautiful little brother and his laughter that always seemed so far away when her eyes were open. Kiyomi took a step forward, reminding herself that maybe she wouldn't cry tomorrow morning. She reminded herself that this didn't have to be sad.

Then she opened her eyes, taking in the noise from the village, taking in the buildings that she had yet to explore, taking in the sky that she would never see again, and she dropped to her knees and let out a low sob. In that moment, uncontrolled and out of her mind, all the sand around her turned into solid glass.

Kiyomi hadn't been bombarded with questions that night. Her mother hadn't asked her how it went, how long she would still be on active duty, or any of the usual overprotective questions. Instead, she had gotten a warm plate of curry, something that had once been her favorite. She didn't have it in her to tell her mother that she couldn't tell the difference in seasonings anymore. She had merely ate it with that same glass smile that she had used a million times before.

When the girl had settled in for bed, she tried to control where her dreams would land. Often the girl would attempt to control everything in a life that felt so spiraled since the day her little brother died. People often told her that the pain would eventually subside, that she would be able to live with it, and that eventually, the hold over their death would weaken enough to just remember their life.

She didn't know why she could never get to that point, suspecting that maybe she just didn't have enough time to do it. It was ironic that now, she had no time to see the end of the tunnel. Still, she didn't dream of him. No, just as every other night before, she fell asleep and dreamed of that hourglass, trickling down and down and down until the entire thing shattered to her feet. Watching those sands spread and mix across the ground was familiar as she took in the fact that she would never again be able to turn the hourglass upside down and restart the time.

Kiyomi awoke to the dim lighting through her window, the orange curtains, aligned with velvet foxes, alit as if they were burning from the red sun. She stared at them, taking in the fact that she felt groggy, despite the full eight hours of sleep. The hardwood floor reflected the beautiful sunlight, catching the glint of freshly polished wood. She felt a small bubble of amusement as she imagined her mother rushing around to polish every last room.

Slowly, Kiyomi stood up from bed, stretching her sore muscles as she walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains. She stood there for a moment, watching the sun rise from the buildings and a woman walk across the road down below. She held her child's hand and Kiyomi recognized them as Furotani Ikoi and her daughter Furotani Rui. They were always so sweet, dropping off fruit and other well made desserts for her parents to try. When Kiyomi had been a child, she had loved going over to Ikoi's house and watching her bake.

Kiyomi left that memory at the window as she dressed and exited the house before her mother could wake up. The walk through the quiet village was a long one, but still, Kiyomi took in the sights. She watched a small cat, lounging in the sand with her paws spread out into the sky. Her fur was covered in those brown flakes and her eyes were cracked open in comfort. Kiyomi tilted her head, wishing she brought her camera from home. She had left it since she was fairly certain the Kazekage would find his new employee carrying a camera to be a strange sight for sore eyes.

When she reached the Kazekage's building, she felt that familiar tremor echo in her bones as she tried to block out the nervous jitters.

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

Gaara glanced at the clock. It wasn't yet 8 am when he felt her Chakra outside the door to his office. It wasn't that he yet knew her Chakra's feel. More like someone had been standing outside the door for around six minutes and Gaara used the process of elimination to figure out who it was outside.

He was about to open the door when she finally turned the knob and was met with retreating sand. Kiyomi's cheeks reddened when she stared at the sand retreat back into the gourd. Gaara raised a hairless brow.

"You're late," Gaara told her, which wasn't technically true as she _had_ been on time, but wasted said time with standing outside the door.

"I apologize," she told him, bowing without hesitation. "It won't happen again."

Gaara leaned his back against his chair. With the new treaty that still needed to be worked and reworked, he had begun to get even less sleep than usual. This was much to his sibling's chagrin, making him almost miss when they had been too afraid to ever give him backtalk. Still, it seemed like every revision left no one happy with the results.

The old village to the east had made clear their demands-more land, more soldiers, more representation. All of which Gaara was reluctant to accept since more land meant other villages would ask for more territories. More soldiers would make an already hostile village a threat. More representation was something Gaara couldn't even consider. They already had one vote on the council. Asking for two would create a clash with other votes delegated to the other villages. Before long, it would create an imbalance in power on decisions between the many villages in the wind country that Gaara was sworn to serve.

Gaara had a migraine. The officials of Watanojo were bossy, ill mannered, and disrespectful. Gaara, being a relatively young Kazekage, was often mistaken for being naïve, which was something he made every effort to weed from his character. At least, he could say with some certainty, naïvety was not something he was in the face of politics, specifically laws and the world views.

Kiyomi's awkward mannerisms were the least of his many worries. Still, his curious gaze still found its way to her face. "I thought you should know," she said, and Gaara found her voice rather soft, making him wonder if she was shy. That was odd as he had read her file, finding that her many achievements would not have led him to believe that she was easily flustered. "There is a man downstairs attempting to gain audience with you."

Gaara sighed, rubbing his temples as it was far too early to deal with Gamano. He came by everyday to seek more ears on complaints that he has proven to be in abundance. Just yesterday, he had said that Wakanojo was too _hot_.

_What does he want me to do, _Gaara thought to himself with a grimace. _Lower the temperature of a desert?_

"What does he want?" Gaara asked with a sigh as he stood. Kiyomi inspected his every move as he walked around his desk and towards the small table where his assistant, Teruya Yaeko, would bring in food and water every morning at 7 am sharp. Often, Yaeko would nag him about staying hydrated and well fed, which, although Gaara would never admit out loud, made him a bit weary and some might say scared of the red headed woman.

He poured the water in the glass and offered it to the girl who also looked rather dehydrated. Gaara thought this, judging her sunken cheeks and chapped lips. Still, Kiyomi only stared at it for a moment before reaching out to grab it. It took great effort since she didn't actually want anything he offered. Slowly as she pressed her palms against the glass, a substance she always found solace in, and she forced her hands to cease on shaking. If Gaara noticed, he didn't say anything.

"He was saying," Kiyomi said, her nose scrunching. Gaara watched the action with keen focus, knowing that any interaction with one Gamano Iketsu could hardly be a good experience. For Kiyomi, always the first to pass up any opportunity for trouble from other people, could still remember how vocal the man had been in the office downstairs. "That someone was trying to poison him. He suspects that it was a hit by you."

Gaara let out another sigh. He leaned against the desk and inspected her tan skin and dark eyes-green as the forests of Konoha. "Is that so?" Gaara hardly had the time to hire a hit, but he had to admit, a part of him, that part that he often tried to control, found the idea quite tempting.

He shook his head, taking a deep sip of water. "What is my duty for today, lord Kazekage?" Kiyomi's question was met with silence.

For as long as the delegates were in Suna, Kankuro had told him that _"I'd feel better if you were protected."_

Gaara was adamant that he was more than capable of protecting himself, but Kankuro would not relent. Thus, Gaara decided it was a battle that he saw no use in fighting, if only to ease his sibling's minds. "Bring Gamano up here."

Kiyomi raised her brows, thinking well through her next statement before she uttered out the words. "In what way? Comfortable or...not?"

Gaara wondered, for a brief moment, what an uncomfortable walk would look like. He already got the impression that she wasn't much of a people person, which was fair since Gaara actually wasn't one either and he was the _Kazekage_, an irony that he was well aware. Still, he decided not to test his new trained shadow, especially since he was already being followed by his other one who had yet to properly greet him. This wasn't something Gaara minded, but Kankuro was certainly going to be more than a bit angry.

"Comfortable and with respect," Gaara told her. Kiyomi didn't hesitate to bow and turn on her heel to finish the task. Gaara rather liked that she at least wasn't awkward with her orders.

Kiyomi rushed out of the room, relieved to be away, which she knew wasn't what she was supposed to feel. She was ashamed to feel it even now. Still, when she entered the lobby and inspected the scene before her, one Gamano yelling at the busty red head who looked about ready to split his head like a watermelon in between her thighs.

"-you are all lounging here, lazy and rich. My people are suffering! Where is the equal dispersement of wealth!" Gamano was shouting.

"Gamano-san, I assure-" Gaara's assistant's cheeks were nearly as red as her hair, proving that the woman was moments from exploding.

"Nice silk," Kiyomi said, her eyes lingering on his stylish robes. Gamano looked ready to snap. "The Kazekage would be honored for your company. If you would follow me."

He sent one last smug glance towards the red head. "Perhaps I will mention the terrible reception."

"Gamano-san," the red headed woman said through gritted teeth. "Please have a wonderful morning." The moment he scoffed and turned around towards the stairs, Kiyomi saw the red head make the motion of throttling him. If Kiyomi had less composure, she might have laughed.

"You his secretary too?" Gamano asked, staring at the girl from over his own nose.

Kiyomi's lips thinned. "I am a Jounin, Gamano-san."

"Ah," Gamano said as they approached the hallway of tan doors. "Back in my day, they didn't let your kind become Jounin," he said with a sniff, walking in front of her.

Kiyomi's eyes narrowed, understanding why the red head downstairs wanted to choke the air from his lungs. Still, she was told to make his time comfortable, and if that meant she was disrespected, then disrespected was what she would be. She tucked away her annoyance, and walked back to his side.

"Do you specialize in medical ninjutsu then?" Gamano asked, which might not have been offensive a question if not for the sexism situated around women being stationed to be primarily medical ninja.

"No," Kiyomi answered shortly.

"Not very chatty. You are a credit to your sex," Gamano said, and Kiyomi nearly faltered.

_You are going to move well past that,_ she told herself as she led him to the door to Gaara's office. She hesitated for a moment, knowing it was foolish to pause when someone could actually see her hover her fist over the door to knock. She decided to instead force her legs to move and open the door for him.

Gamano didn't thank her, and rather rudely slipped past her as if he were the most important man in the room. Kiyomi glanced over to Gaara, piled under documents, and found it rather amusing that the most important man in the room was also the youngest.

"The nerve you have to make me wait," Gamano said, and Kiyomi took an awkward sigh as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She began to wish that she was back on missions, where social skills didn't matter in a fight. In fact, they were encouraged to be absent for optimal focus on the mission. She took a shaky breath as she sat down on a small chair and table near Gaara's book shelf and laid her chin against her palm, wondering how she went from one of the youngest Suna Jounin to ever grace the war to her current predicament of literally the most boring job in Suna.

It wasn't like she wanted assassination attempts on Gaara, since that would open a can of worms that led to the Bijuu being extracted in the first place. She didn't want Suna's Kazekage dead, after all. She was, just as Gaara had deduced, overqualified.

"I apologize," Gaara said in a monotone as he sent Gamano a sparing glance from over the treaty. "I hear that you believe you are trying to be poisoned."

Gamano's face, already tan, turned red from anger. "You are just like your father. He too often tried to silence my people. I will not accept this treatment."

Kiyomi's eyes scanned Gaara's hands as they slightly tightened on the papers before he placed them back down on his desk. Many people looked to the eyes for emotion, but Kiyomi often saw hands were far more expressive with people of any sort of control. Still, Gaara covered that quickly before she could dwell.

"I assure you, Gamano-san," Gaara told him, his eyes narrow as he finally leaned back in his chair. "I have, nor would I ever, make any attempt on your life."

"That is what anyone who tried something would say," Gamano shouted, and Kiyomi's brows raised at such language in front of the actual Kazekage. "I demand retribution on the attempt on my life."

"By retribution," Gaara said carefully. The dark shadows around his eyes aligned with boredom. "I assume you mean immediate acceptance to your newest proposal of-" Gaara glanced towards the document with a hint of disdain. "Allocated funds of nearly 50kg of gold."

"A necessary reward for all the support _we _gave Suna in the war!" Gamano said, his haughty voice beginning to grow ridiculous in Kiyomi's ears. "What is the reception I've received since coming to Suna? My proposals immediately rejected and aconite in my morning tea!"

_Please attack so I can break your arm,_ Kiyomi thought with a tired glance towards the window.

"Gamano-san." Gaara finally stood up, walking around his desk and somehow appearing taller. "I will dedicate Shinobi to finding out who tried to poison you. In the meantime, I recommend you have your own guards keep extra watch. If I wanted you dead." Gaara tilted his head, reminding Kiyomi that he had once been known as the monster of Suna. "I assure you, poison is not my method of choice."

Gamano had visibly paled, feeling the presence of the Kazekage fill the room. He slowly nodded, his fear palpable. Kiyomi understood that, but wished he had taken his fear with him when he stepped inside the room to disrespect Gaara. It would have saved them all much time.

"And my proposal?" Gamano didn't know when to quit. Kiyomi had her suspicion that anyone who heard him speak would try to poison him.

Gaara's face was unreadable. "I recommend revision so we may decide on a course of...reward more fitting to both Suna and Watanojo. Do you not agree?"

Gamano was about to snap further, but Kiyomi finally stood up. "Shall I escort you out, Gamano-san. I do believe the Kazekage is done speaking."

The representative from Watanojo looked absolutely livid, but upon staring at Gaara again, a sense of self preservation lightened his eyes. He followed Kiyomi out and and she led him downstairs. "How a man like that became Kaze-"

"Gamano-san," Kiyomi said, interrupting him with a frown. She may have her own personal qualms with Gaara, but she would not allow anyone to disrespect a Kazekage of Suna in front of her. "I recommend caution. There are many who would kill enemies in Suna for even breathing in the Kazekage's general direction. Take care in how you speak in these walls."

His face went red with rage. "You dare question me?"

"Not question," Kiyomi said as they reached downstairs where the red headed woman glanced once towards Gamano and scowled. "Just some advice I highly encourage you to follow while you stay under his protection."

She bowed and left him with the red head who wanted to strangle him. When she reached the door to Gaara's office, she saw that the door was open wide. It didn't leave her time to hesitate from behind it. Her cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment as Gaara had in fact picked up her fear open opening his door. She stepped inside and closed the door from behind her.

"Thank you, Shiragane," he told her, and she felt her blood run cold. He had yet to use any part of her name to address her, and hearing it filled her heart with cold ice.

"Of course, Kazakage-sama," she said, watching him falter as he began to organize his desk.

"You can drop the 'sama'," he said, glancing over to the girl. "And the Kazekage. Is it not a mouthful?"

It was. Using people's names without honorific was rather common among fellow Shinobi who had too little time to worry about being polite in the midst of a mission. Still, talking to other Shinobi was quite different than addressing a leader. Kiyomi could not even imagine saying his name, and considering he didn't exactly have a surname, she wasn't certain what to call him.

Still, he directly asked her not to call him that, so she had no choice but to submit to that request. It was physically painful to do it now, so she only nodded and decided to avoid saying his name at all.

"Gamano," Gaara said, changing the subject. "Was he difficult?"

Kiyomi glanced around the room, "Not exactly. He's adamant on disrespecting you. If you like I could...send a message."

Gaara glanced towards the girl, finding her tone suggesting a dangerous request. It brought a rush of amusement that forced him to turn his gaze away for a moment. "I'd rather not give him anything tangible to turn Watanojo against me."

Kiyomi pursed her lips. She obviously did want to break his arm. "Is there anything you do want me to do?"

Gaara glanced up at her. "Are you bored, Shiragane?"

Her cheeks flushed, glancing towards the bookcase near the corner of the walls. "O-Of course not."

Gaara stared at her tan cheeks, slightly darker at his accusation. "Feel free to read as you like. I have more documents to search through before I can give you an actual task."

"Of course!" Kiyomi hadn't meant her reply to come out so loud, but she quickly escaped to Gaara's library, picking up a book at random and preparing herself for another rather boring day. She wasn't complaining if she got to both read _and_ avoid more conversation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Honestly, Kiyomi, same. If I could avoid awkward conversation with a book, I would. It's kind of funny, since they are both not chatty and trapped in a room together. Don't worry! I still have action planned for them. They just need to establish a bond first since Gaara is weary and Kiyomi is bitter!

I enjoyed the theories I got about what Kiyomi dislikes Gaara for, and I can say that it won't be the most obvious answer!

There's so many exciting things coming up in the future, and I can't wait to write them.

Thank you for reading!


	5. Hour of Fathers

Four

**Hour of Fathers**

**GAARA WAS IMPRESSED AT HER PUNCTUALITY THE NEXT DAY, **or would have been if not for the fact that she arrived twenty minutes prior to the set time. Kiyomi was early and standing outside his door. Just standing there, as if she made time for the scheduled jitters that halted her from entering. He had been rereading Watanojo's newest proposal for the ability to expel people who do not work and can't afford the ability to support themselves. Gaara was trying to think up a dignified way to tell them _that they already had that ability. _

It wasn't even an unreasonable request, but Gaara was certain Watanojo was unlikely to stop asking for more once they ran through the laws that were already established. His fingers squeezed on the documents as his migraine grew worse. Kiyomi, now eighteen minutes outside his office, had also grown on his nerves. He didn't want to interrupt her process of irritating him, and he was quite used to people achieving that feat with minimal effort.

At the dot of 8 in the morning, the door finally resonated with a light tapping. _For the love of all the Gods,_ Gaara thought with a grimace, _is she truly knocking?_

"Enter," Gaara said awkwardly, now wondering if she really did not understand that he could sense her.

"Good morning," she said with an immediate bow as her ponytail trail strands of brown hair fell over her shoulder. He watched the individual brown locks flip over and down her back as she stood up straight and walked to the bookshelf with a very awkward effort to avoid the eye contact that Gaara desperately sought.

"Shiragane," Gaara said, his eyes already bloodshot and his lids heavy from lack of sleep.

Kiyomi glanced over to Gaara, her back freezing and her body turning tense. Still, she remembered all her lessons on guarding against unnecessary emotions. She practically invented resting bitch face, so she appeared cool and aloof, regardless of her inner freak out. _What am I doing here?_

She waited for him to speak, her slow blink resonating in his skull. What was he going to say? Gaara couldn't quite remember, but he was interested in her opinion. If he had to spend all his days with her for the next couple months, he might as well know her. "Have you been to Watanojo?"

She wondered why he would ask. He was the Kazekage so she answered, although she didn't want to talk. "Yes."

Gaara was starting to think she was as bad at communicating as he was, but still, he had grown much over the years. He had worked hard to be 'empathetic' and 'understanding' and 'normal'. "What was your opinion of it?"

Kiyomi was silent for a rather long time in contrast to the simple question that he asked. "It is forgotten from Wind country decisions often. Their proposals might be terrible, but their intentions are likely to know they are being heard."

"Ah," Gaara said, ashamed that he didn't know much of his own country outside of Suna. Had he ever really tried to know?

"They have extensive areas of high crime. Drug trafficking and prostitution. It has the highest level of the homeless, often resulting in a cycle of more crime," Kiyomi said in a monotone. Gaara was stunned that the one sent to represent such things had also left out any details of the state of Watanojo.

"What stops them from asking for aid? I have gotten fifty requests for gold to support building a monument to the sand god, nine requests for the opportunity to gain a new casino, three requests for less sand in governor Gomono's backyard."

"Why does anyone do anything?" Kiyomi said with a shrug, glancing over to Gaara as she ran her fingers over the bookshelf and picked out a tomb the size of her head. "Pride. Watanojo works towards the goal of being as self sufficient as Suna. Why risk it by admitting their faults to the village they compete against?"

"And allow their people to continue suffering?" Gaara's fists clenched.

"I didn't say it was right," Kiyomi said as she sat down on the chair and crossed her legs. "I merely said my opinion on Watanojo."

"They also have a high death toll with the disease effecting the poor." The voice made Kiyomi drop her book and Gaara stand up from his desk. "Sorry I am Kage Hiashi."

"Ah," Gaara said, glancing towards every shadow in the room where his second guard had stood still. "Please come out."

There resonated a loud sigh that caused Gaara to raise his non-existent brows. _Did he actually sigh at me? _Since becoming the Kazekage, and definitely before then, so little did people ever outwardly showed him attitude. Gaara wasn't certain how he felt about it.

From the shadows, the man exited the darkness near the enormous bookcase. Kiyomi stood up, nearly dropping her book as she inspected the boy with inky hair and equally black eyes. He had one distinguishable feature that almost immediately caused Kiyomi's eyes to scan. The tips of his fingers on his left hand were missing. Kiyomi, being a curious girl, motioned to speak. She paused, reorganizing her thoughts and deciding to take a more passive role.

His eyes were covered in grim shadows that almost rivaled Gaara. Kiyomi wondered what people found so difficult about a good night's sleep. "You missed your first day," Gaara said, his voice in a low monotone. Kage blinked slowly, as if the very action of speaking was a nightmare and a pain.

"I was here," Kage said, slowly running his fingers through his hair. This brought Kiyomi's gaze back on his missing fingertips.

Gaara was beginning to wonder if Kankuro picked both these people as a cruel joke. Or perhaps he was just this unlucky. Unfortunately, he knew his brother enough to suspect the former. Kiyomi and Kage both looked sickly, with shadows under their eyes and a rather gaunt look about them. He knew they were strong, for they wouldn't be here if they were not.

Kiyomi couldn't help the small smile that wanted to crawl onto her face at the pure awkwardness of one Kage Hiashi. She was already starting towards the bookcase when Kage began to slip back into shadows. She paused, and before she could help herself, she was saying, "I think he's shy."

Gaara's lips twitched, but he didn't smile.

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

The woman's fingers trailed along Kiyomi's wrist, her fingers inspecting her pulse. Those fingers, restricted by the clear plastic gloves, froze against her skin. The moments passed by with calming clarity, and Kiyomi was still prepping herself for any bad news as the stethoscope trailed over to her chest, just below her breasts. The chill flashed through her skin again, and Kiyomi's gaze lingered on the pure white walls, with little specs of grey, over to the rack of test tubes that held a numerous amount of samples.

She was still inspecting them when the doctor, a level headed woman long since associated with Kiyomi's parents, spoke. "You haven't been taking it easy, have you?"

Kiyomi thought back to the battle with Hanashi Yobu, where she had been forced to use her Kekkei Tōta. Such a technique Kitabayashi Chiyeko, her doctor of five years, expressively forbade. If she were lucky, without using it, she was told she'd make it to twenty. When she first got the news, she was told she'd never live past sixteen. _Showed them_, Kiyomi thought with a bitter smile.

"I used it here and there," Kiyomi admitted as she watched Chiyeko slowly remove the ear portion of the stethoscope so it could dangle around her neck. Kiyomi watched it and her eyes were drawn to the sharp jaw and protruding collar bones, likely not as protruded as Kiyomi's, who had grown too skinny.

Chiyeko's face drew into a worried crease, her brows furrowed as she removed the plastic gloves from her small hands. Her hair was in a neat bun at the top of her head, small bits of blond bangs not doing enough to cover the disappointment in her expression. She removed her glasses, rubbing her temples as she leaned back against the counter. Kiyomi hardly wanted to disappoint her, but she also made a habit of honesty.

"Kiyomi-chan, you promised," Chiyeko said, the sadness deep in her eyes that nearly looked like the sky, with just the smallest glimpses of grey. Kiyomi wondered how long she'd be able to keep whatever terrible news Chiyeko was about to deliver, away from her parents. Unfortunately the Shiragane duo were masters at gathering information. They were scholars with their work often on display in any conversation about the nature in Chakra, among other research projects that were likely hidden in her mother's many thesis's.

"I lied," Kiyomi said, her lips thin as she watched those creases in the corners of Chiyeko's eyes reform. She didn't intentionally lie, or at least, that was what Kiyomi often told herself.

"You're heart rate is slow and don't think I haven't noticed the degradation of your motor senses." Chiyeko took a seat on the rolling chair, dragging it so she could place her palms on Kiyomi's knees. It was just enough so the doctor could feel the brittle bones and lean muscle of the girl's upper thighs. "You need to rest and take it easy."

Kiyomi's jaw clenched, and she attempted to push back down the bitterness and the anger that had filled her body like helium the moment Kota had died. She shook her head. It wasn't Chiyeko's fault that Kiyomi had such rotten luck. "I will rest. Soon, that is all I can do. Right now? I want to live."

"You can live without using your abilities. Citizens, non-Shinobi, live full happy lives, all the time. You can do that."

"With all due respect, doctor," Kiyomi said, her smile as false as her mother whispering _"Everything will be okay_._" _Kiyomi pushed the memory away, her eyes burning, but she refused to cry anymore. "I can't. Until my arms stop moving and my body no longer belongs to me, I want to be me."

Chiyeko pressed the heel of her palm to her eyes, her memory burning with the little girl running around the hospital with a fake kunai. Her parents had always been in close proximity, working on their newest project, but Chiyeko had always been the one to have to pry the kunai from the five year old's grip. _"One day, I will swing a real one around!" _The young Kiyomi would shout, much to many of the staff's amusement.

_"Until then, no running in the halls," _Chiyeko would say, that fond smile never too far away. Kiyomi would listen, for a little while, until Chiyeko would catch the drifting of dark brown hair in a tight ponytail, turning the corner to escape the doctor's watchful eye. No, Kiyomi didn't listen to her then, and she didn't listen to her now.

"I just―" Chiyeko paused, and Kiyomi's eyes softened at the pain that escaped the doctor's face. "I just want you to be safe."

Kiyomi disobeyed her own rules, reaching forward and hugging the woman who was more like a mother of her childhood than her own mother. She didn't make anymore promises because Kiyomi was too stubborn to keep them and too honest to lie. So when she left the building that both her parents once worked tirelessly inside, likely trying to find some cure that they'd never get to in time, she pressed the medication to her chest. Her hands were stiff and cold to her breasts, and she let out a deep and disgruntled sigh.

She turned around to walk away from the building, running directly into the sand sibling Kankuro. She didn't even wait a heartbeat of silence before she grinned. It didn't feel real, but not many of her smiles felt real lately. "Kankuro! How's the nuts?"

Kankuro's face scrunched up, and she watched the face paint crinkle as if she just smashed paper into a ball. She tried not to bite her bottom lip, but the old desire to taunt another began to resurface. His head was devoid of his hood, and she saw only spikey brown hair of the famous puppet master. "Mention that again, and you just might become my newest puppet."

Kiyomi's head tilted, hiding the medicine in her satchel as she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. It wasn't often she left her hair down, so she was already frustrated with what the humidity of the Sand was already becoming tangled by the amount heat seeping itto her unmanageable waves. Sweat was also glistening from her forehead, despite the fact that she was actually rather cold, which was not something anyone often said about the Sand―or the wind country in general. With the bits of sand, caught in a particularly unfriendly draft, hit her face, she began to put her hair back up into a ponytail.

"Wow, what a flirt you are," Kiyomi said, and the tone she took was already out of her comfort zone, but being out of her comfort zone was the entire point of this year. _Live_.

"Anyway," Kankuro sent her a rather pointed scowl. "I wasn't expecting to run into you."

"What were you expecting?" Kiyomi asked, her lips curled into that same terribly false smile. _Fake it till you make it,_ she thought.

"Looking for someone actually," Kankuro said, his lips parting as if he were reluctant to say more. She waved her hand, signaling to get to his point, which he didn't look particularly happy about as his narrowed gaze traced over her fingers. "Your father actually. I've heard some...rumors."

Shiragane Kiyomi raised both brows, Shiragane Shoin was a searcher, at least that was what her mother, Shiragane Midori would often say. Kiyomi never knew what project her father was working on, but since getting his own lab, his appearance at home had been scarce. "Rumors?" She had not heard any, but her parents were famous, so there were often people speaking of their research. Kankuro looked reluctant, but not for long when he met the girl's earnest gaze.

"Just about his newest project. I've heard he wanted to meet with me, and I'm intrigued." Kankuro shrugged, and Kiyomi pursed her lips. She doubted he wanted to meet with her new employer's brother to snoop or protect her from the Kazekage. That was more her mother's style. Shoin had always been more likely to stay out of her business.

"Is that right?" Kiyomi contemplated it for a moment. "His lab isn't here. I mean, not anymore. He gained funding for new research the year before last."

"Oh?" Kankuro looked over her shoulder to the hospital, which was one of the biggest ones in Suna. It was also where her mother still worked on whatever new projects she had started, likely all focused on degenerative diseases. It was a waste of time, but Kiyomi wouldn't dissuade her. She also wouldn't give false hope to neither her mother nor herself. "Where is it then? It's not updated in his files."

"Are all your files so inconclusive?" Kiyomi said with a sneer that was more friendly than snarky.

Kankuro snorted, but shrugged once more. "I can't refute that."

"I can walk you there," Kiyomi told him, holding up her arm.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" Kankuro couldn't hide the amusement.

"In some cultures, it's polite to escort a lady this way. Arm in arm," she told him.

"I wouldn't trust you within two meters of me," Kankuro replied, and she bit her lip.

"It couldn't have hurt that much," she said, lowering her arm. At the time, the testies had been his only week point and she had been exhausted during the fight. Perhaps she had damaged their relationship in this move.

"I had to ice it," Kankuro said with a less friendly sneer. He left out the fact that Temari had mocked him relentlessly while he grabbed the ice pack. "Your fist was covered in glass."

She cringed, having nearly forgotten that small detail. In hindsight, it might have been just as effective without coating her fist in Chakra infused, hardened sand. She just hadn't wanted to take any chances. She hadn't wanted to lose. "I apologized for it."

"And I did not accept," Kankuro said, but the amusement in his eyes was back. She smiled before she turned on her heel and began to walk west, towards the enclave of buildings.

"Well, hopefully you'll forgive me as we walk to meet my father." Kiyomi heard his reluctant steps trail after her. He had a silent step, but her senses were honed, and if anything, they grew better as her reflexes began to deteriorate. She could still fight, and she could still win, but she knew she'd never be quite as good as she once was ever again. It was humbling.

"I would challenge you to a rematch, but it isn't very appropriate," Kankuro said, and she looked over her shoulder at him. Her lips pursed, eyes narrow, but slowly she opened her mouth to speak.

"I suppose it is unseemly for the Kazekage's shadow to beat the great Kankuro a second time," she said, and her smile turned rather mocking. Her teachers all used to say that she often used this terrible humor as a fighting tactic. They would say that she was always ready for a battle, and that sometimes, the pre-battle, and the words spoken, can cause the opponent to make more mistakes.

Her mother, who once studied the psychology of a battle, made many good points in her thesis that she would read Kiyomi as a bedtime story when the girl was eight. Kota―Kiyomi took a loud gulp―he would often fall asleep to that white noise, but Kiyomi loved her mother's words far more than any book with that _stupid_ bear making friends. Her mother always refused to read children's books, saying it lowers her IQ, so it was always up to Kiyomi to read them to her little brother.

"You're about to catch these hands," Kankuro warned, but the amusement, good natured and rather charming, went right back into his eyes.

"Do you like to fight, Kankuro?" Kiyomi asked, and he snorted.

"Not particularly. I prefer to avoid it when necessary," Kankuro said with a shrug. "You, however, are ferocious. It's been a while since I've seen such passion in every move."

She paused in her steps, a moment of hesitation as a small heat filled her chest. It was a pride she hadn't felt in a while. "I―um." She paused again, continuing to walk. The fake flirtatious tone now gone. "I always wanted to be a Ninja. I knew from the first day. The first time I held a shuriken." If he was unnerved by her hesitation or the sudden shyness, he didn't show it as he fell into step beside her. He had an easy-going nature about him, and she rather admired it.

The buildings passed by in a blur, at least to Kankuro. Kiyomi absorbed every detail of the buildings, from the domes on the top, to the neutral grey of the walls, to the spiraling staircases that connected many balconies. She saw everything, noticed everything, and waved at every passing citizen or kid in a rush on his bicycle. Women, with cloth head wraps, seemed to know her face and would wave with enthusiasm as she greeted them. By the time they turned a corner, she already had a basket of fresh honey bread, given to her by a particularly sweet elderly lady that knew Kiyomi by first name basis.

Kankuro watched it all with keen eyes, and her mannerisms were so polite, in contrast with her snarky comments not too long ago. She held out the basket, urging him to grab a piece of bread. He eyed them wearily, not quite used to gifts, even from his own people. Especially not from his own people. While many in the village had forgiven Gaara and his actions under the control of the tailed beast, just as many still showed disdain and fear for the monster he once was. By association, although never to the extent of treatment Gaara had gotten, both Kankuro and Temari were often ostracized by the village they worked so hard to protect.

"It's not poisonous," Kiyomi said, surprising herself with a real laugh. "Granny Baba wouldn't soil her cooking and her reputation by such a method. She has a bakery to think about."

"It is a sound argument," Kankuro agreed, taking the loaf of warm honey bread. The top was coated in a shiny layer that looked rather delicious. He was still hesitant as the warmth soaked into his fingertips and he finally took a bite. "Holy shit, that's good."

Kiyomi snorted, lowering the basket so it dangled from the crevice of her inner arm. "She's a good woman. Every time I go to visit my father, she gives me a basket of bread. She's worried he might kneel over from starvation in his lab." Kiyomi smiled. "Which is not completely off base. You'll see."

"You can get along with anyone, can't you?" Kankuro said, noticing her rather easy-going personality, mixed with that fierce and hardworking fighting style. He hoped she was showing his little brother the same sentiment.

"Not particularly." She sent him a coy smile from over her shoulder, and he was just noticing that she walked freakishly fast. It likely had to do with the fact that she was just so tall. She had to be at least 170 centimeters, which already made her the same height as him. Gaara might be a couple centimeters shorter than that. It reminded him of Temari, who was yet another girl who was taller than both her brothers.

"It's your day off then?" Kankuro said, finally switching to the topic he had wanted to get to the moment he saw her face. Gaara was his little brother, but said brother was as quiet as a rock. Getting any information from him was like milking a boulder.

She paused, pursing her lips again, but she didn't hesitate long. "He dismissed me. Said Kage-san was enough protection."

"Ah. The shadow one." Kankuro said with a smirk. Kankuro couldn't deny his own amusement with the Shinobi who had won his fights with sneak attacks in even less time than Kiyomi. The boy was a prodigy, which was impressive considering he was missing fingertips. "He's a good kid."

"I wouldn't know. I've seen him come out of the shadows of the curtains once," Kiyomi said, her amusement palpable as she turned her gaze on Kankuro. "If I were our Kazekage, that would drive me insane."

Kankuro grinned. "I am his older brother. If I can't be there to annoy him, I had to have someone do so in my stead."

Kiyomi gave him a painful smile as she came to a stop by the pathway that led to the gated three story building, decorated in shades of pure white. The windows at the top, covering the slanted roof, glinted in the sun and Kankuro shielded his eyes from the shine of it. "Well, Kankuro, time to meet my father."

Kankuro looked rather excited as they neared the automatic doors that led into the building. It was empty inside, since her father felt help would impede his progress, so only hired two people on the payroll. Kiyomi always suspected that this was likely because he was cheap, and wanted all the grant money to pay for his work instead of more able bodied hands. She never questioned it, and sometimes, on her days off, she would come by to help out. This was free of charge of course, and mostly an excuse to make sure her dad would eat, but he had long since forbade her involvement. He said he wanted her to spend every last day, every last minute, doing whatever she wanted. He wouldn't listen when she said what she wanted was to spend time with him.

"Cozy," Kankuro said with a bit of sarcasm. It was strikingly hot inside, since her dad was too cheap to run an AC throughout the entire building.

"Yep," Kiyomi agreed, and her sandals slapping against the tiles as she walked down the dimly lit hall. The outside certainly had more upkeep than the inside, and Kiyomi made a mental note to come in and mop, regardless of what her dad said. Likely, so long as she was quiet, he wouldn't even notice she was here. She continued down the empty hall, searching for one of the two on staff. Neither Akane or Reichi were anywhere in sight.

"I imagine this is where a killer would turn a corner," Kankuro commented.

Kiyomi chuckled. "With the fighting style I saw in the arena, I imagine you might just die."

"You haven't seen me at my best," Kankuro commented with a bitter tone. He continued eating his bread, hardly wanting to meet the great Shiragane Shoin with a snack in his hand.

_You haven't met me at my best either_, Kiyomi thought with a rather disheartened frown. Only months ago, she could have turned the dust in the air of the Wind country into a weapon, a shield, anything she wanted. It was once so easy. Nothing was easy anymore.

Two years ago, she had been scheduled to become a great sensei. It had been her dream. Now, that was the same dust she could no longer control.

_"Being a teacher is a decade long commitment,"_ she had told her mother, crying in a moment of weakness. _"But I don't have a decade, do I? Not even half of that." _She regretted telling Midori that now. She regretted putting those burdens, those lost dreams, on her mother shoulders. It was too late to take them back.

"Ah, just through here," Kiyomi said with a cheery smile as she walked towards the lab double doors. They creaked on her touch, and the inside was bright. The brightest in the world, and she had a feeling her father used most electricity efficiently in this room only. Said man was slumped over his desk, his arm dangled lifelessly over the side and his other bent at what wouldn't have been a comfortable angle as his face remained planted in the stacks of papers and scrolls in dissary on his desk.

"Is he dead?" Kankuro asked with genuine worry, which in hindsight, was not the way to say anything to the daughter of said 'dead man'. Kankuro had never been great with what to say, which was how so many misunderstandings remained unsolved in his family for so long.

Kiyomi didn't look bothered, and instead she let out a bark of laughter as she walked towards her father and dropped the basket of bread by the man's face with a loud bang. The older man, his mustache mismatched, one side curled down and the other curled up, snapped up. He fell back in his chair, and it went spiraling to the ground as the man rolled off the cushion and landed on his ass. His lab coat looked to be tangled in one of his arms, and he quickly attempted to stand and untangle himself from the fabric.

"This is my father," Kiyomi said with an unenthusiastic tone of voice that contrasted the genuine fondness in her eyes.

"Well," Kankuro said with a tisk sound from his tongue. "You know what they say?"

Kiyomi's dark, forest green eyes met his and his gaze went from the doctor to the two freckles below her left eye. "What's that?"

Kankuro grinned. "Never meet your heroes."

Kiyomi snorted, turning back to her dad. "Make sure you eat."

Shoin rubbed his palm down his dark face, the bags under his eyes somehow even darker than his own daughter's. "I'm tired of that old bat's bread."

"Well, that sounds like a you problem, because she made it for you and if you don't finish it, I'll tell her you just said that." At Kiyomi's threat, Shoin's very tan face turned pale.

"W-Whose this gentleman?" Shoin asked, glancing towards Kankuro with an embarrassed expression as he attempted to stand up. "Don't tell me you are introducing me to a boyfriend? Oh I've been so worried for this day. My girl growing up."

Kankuro grimaced, but tried to hold his disgust. Kiyomi, however, made no motion to hide her revulsion. Her nose made a rather cute wrinkle and she looked embarrassed, judging by the way her body language just closed up. Her arms ran up and down opposite arms. "Dad. Gross."

"You could have at least hesitated a moment beforehand," Kankuro muttered in a low tone.

"Thank the gods. You know how I feel about too much make-up," Shoin said with a visible breath of relief.

"I see now that we're getting off topic." _And mean, _Kankuro thought with a scowl. "I heard you were asking about me," Kankuro said, covering the fact that Kankuro had been thrilled to gain the doctor's attention. After all, it was Shiragane's line of work that made many of his Jutsu with puppets even possible.

"Ah!" Shoin's face lit up with excitement, before he sent his daughter a side glance. "Well, Kiyomi, I will eat the bread."

"Every crumb?" Kiyomi said with another fond smile.

He nodded eagerly. "Every crumble."

"Alright. It looks like my dad is kicking me out," she said with an amused smile as she walked towards the exit. "Play nice you two."

Kankuro, now nervous to be in the same room with a legend, watched Kiyomi's every move as she began to leave.


End file.
